Pope Francis has issued an urgent appeal for peace during his traditional “Urbi et Orbi” address on Christmas Day, calling on “all people, all peoples and nations” to “silence the weapons and overcome divisions.”
Addressing the faithful gathered in St Peter’s Square in Rome at the culmination of the Christmas celebrations, the 88-year-old pontiff made particular mention of the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East.
“Let there be silence of the weapons in martyred Ukraine,” Francis said from the balcony of St Peter’s Basilica.
He also called for “opening the door to negotiations, as well as gestures of dialogue and encounter, in order to achieve a just and lasting peace” in Ukraine, which has been under attack from Russia for almost three years.
The pope also appealed for peace in the Middle East.
“Let the doors of dialogue and peace open up in the entire region torn apart by conflicts,” he demanded, visibly moved.
Recalling the situation in the Gaza Strip, he said: “Let there be a ceasefire, let the hostages be released and the population, worn down by hunger and war, be cared for.”
In his Christmas Day message, the pope usually turns his attention to conflicts and wars around the world and calls for peace and reconciliation.
This year, he also mentioned Lebanon, Syria, Libya, as well as conflicts and hardship on the African continent and in Latin America.
Following the address, Francis delivered the traditional “Urbi et Orbi” (To the City and to the World) blessing.
The pope marked Christmas Eve on Tuesday with the traditional Mass in St Peter’s Basilica, urging the faithful to bring hope as “pilgrims of light into the darkness of the world.”
The head of the Catholic Church said in his Christmas Eve sermon that Christmas, as the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ, is a fitting occasion not to lose hope.
“Hope is not dead, hope lives and envelops our lives forever!” he said.
A ceremony on Tuesday also saw the Holy Door of the basilica opened, marking the start of a Jubilee year. During the year, which is held every 25 years, many of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics are expected to make the pilgrimage to Rome.
The door is normally bricked up, and its opening allows the pilgrims to pass through, securing an indulgence, or remission of sins.
The Jubilee year 2025 officially ends on January 6, 2026.
